‘Lanterns’: DCU’s Most Anticipated Series Finally Sets August Release Date!!

After debuting on the big screen in 2025 with Superman, James Gunn’s DCU looks to continue the momentum in 2026 with a few big projects. First on the slate is Supergirl, the next feature film headlined by Milly Alcock, who made her debut as Kara Zor-El last year in the David Corenswet-led tentpole. The film will premiere on June 26, and it will also feature the big screen debut of Jason Momoa as Lobo. Supergirl isn’t the only DCU project hitting the big screen in 2026, though. Clayface will be released in theaters on October 23 after being delayed out of its September 11 launch spot. DC released the first trailer for Clayface just last week, and it’s already on the radar as one of the most anticipated projects of the year.

Sandwiched between the premieres of Supergirl and Clayface is Lanterns, the new DCU show led by Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler. Pierre has been tapped to play the famous Green Lantern John Stewart, while Chandler will play Hal Jordan. It’s been confirmed that Pierre will return and reprise his role as John Stewart in the 2027 DCU film, Man of Tomorrow, which is now in production, but Chandler’s status is being kept under wraps. It’s been public knowledge for months now that Lanterns was going to begin streaming on HBO Max this August, but the series has been without an official release date until now. This afternoon, news broke that Lanterns will officially debut on August 16, which puts it in the coveted Sunday at 9 p.m. HBO slot. It’s also been confirmed that Lanterns Season 1 will consist of eight episodes.

What’s Going To Happen in ‘Lanterns’?

Lanterns will follow John Stewart as a recruit after he’s paired up with Hal Jordan, and the two are sent to Earth to investigate a murder in the American heartland. In addition to Pierre and Chandler, Nathan Fillion will also return and reprise his role as Guy Gardner in the show. Other members of the ensemble consist of Jason Ritter as Billy Macon, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, Nicole Ari Parker as Bernadette, and Ulrich Thomsen as Sinestro. Lanterns was written and created for TV by Tom King, Damon Lindelof, and Chris Mundy, with James Hawes, Geeta Vasant Patel, Alik Sakharov, and Stephen Williams directing.